Making Pennies, Money wasted: $69 million
Each one-cent penny cost 2.06 cents to make in 2018, while each nickel cost 7.53 cents. Though both spiked this year thanks to rising metal prices, pennies have cost taxpayers more than they're worth for 14 years. The Government Accountability Office reported that in fiscal year 2017, the U.S. Mint wasted $69 million producing pennies and $21 million on nickels.